Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Helier and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,375 in Saint Helier, rent and utilities included – about $25,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Saint Helier, Jersey
Phuket, Thailand
Saint Helier
🇯🇪 Jersey
$3,375
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saint Helier and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Saint Helier and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,375 in Saint Helier versus $1,278 in Phuket.

  • Saint Helier $3,375
  • Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,992 in Saint Helier versus $2,216 in Phuket.

  • Saint Helier $4,992
  • Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,608 in Saint Helier versus $3,154 in Phuket.

  • Saint Helier $6,608
  • Phuket $3,154

Living in Saint Helier is roughly 164% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint Helier is 148% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Saint Helier
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$40.25 JEP 30.07
$4.47 ฿151
800.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$122 JEP 90.8
$32.41 ฿1,093
275.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.76 JEP 8.04
$8.81 ฿297
22.13%
Cappuccino
$4.95 JEP 3.70
$2.83 ฿95.4
74.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.34 JEP 2.50
$0.87 ฿29.41
283.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.51 JEP 1.88
$0.49 ฿16.65
412.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.08 JEP 6.04
$2.56 ฿86.3
215.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.29 JEP 4.70
$3.68 ฿124
70.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Saint Helier
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.30 JEP 1.72
$1.66 ฿55.9
38.55%
White Bread (500g)
$2.82 JEP 2.11
$1.46 ฿49.31
93.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.83 JEP 2.86
$1.50 ฿50.5
155.33%
Eggs
$6.16 JEP 4.60
$2.09 ฿70.5
194.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.24 JEP 5.41
$19.07 ฿643
-62.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.94 JEP 8.92
$3.30 ฿111
261.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.58 JEP 13.88
$10.91 ฿368
70.30%
Apples (1kg)
$4.20 JEP 3.14
$2.93 ฿98.9
43.34%
Banana (1kg)
$3.54 JEP 2.65
$1.69 ฿57.0
109.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.13 JEP 3.08
$2.25 ฿75.8
83.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.46 JEP 3.33
$2.08 ฿70.0
114.42%
Potato (1kg)
$3.24 JEP 2.42
$1.51 ฿51.0
114.57%
Onion (1kg)
$3.14 JEP 2.35
$1.38 ฿46.52
127.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.91 JEP 1.43
$1.07 ฿35.96
78.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.57 JEP 1.92
$0.52 ฿17.51
394.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$19.77 JEP 14.77
$4.20 ฿142
370.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.79 JEP 8.06
$18.79 ฿634
-42.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.54 JEP 3.39
$1.82 ฿61.5
149.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.87 JEP 5.88
$2.84 ฿95.8
177.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Saint Helier
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.39 JEP 2.53
$1.45 ฿48.98
133.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$69.7 JEP 52.0
$56.7 ฿1,912
22.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 JEP 4.03
$3.02 ฿102
78.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.42 JEP 1.81
$1.02 ฿34.33
137.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$52.5 JEP 39.22
$3.69 ฿125
1322.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.12 JEP 1.59
$1.47 ฿49.76
44.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.4K JEP 19.7K
$26.8K ฿903.4K
-1.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.2K JEP 27.8K
$26.7K ฿900.5K
39.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint Helier
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$318 JEP 237
$96.4 ฿3,251
229.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$44.74 JEP 33.42
$11.26 ฿380
297.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$74.6 JEP 55.7
$16.85 ฿568
342.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Saint Helier
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.7 JEP 57.3
$67.2 ฿2,268
14.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.22 JEP 21.08
$10.73 ฿362
163.00%
Cinema Ticket
$19.74 JEP 14.74
$7.50 ฿253
163.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Saint Helier
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,272 JEP 1,697
$476 ฿16.1K
377.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.0K JEP 8,980
$11.3K ฿380.0K
6.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Saint Helier
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$105 JEP 78.3
$62.4 ฿2,104
67.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$72.1 JEP 53.9
$28.41 ฿958
153.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$119 JEP 89.0
$94.3 ฿3,181
26.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$207 JEP 155
$85.8 ฿2,895
141.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Saint Helier
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,873 JEP 1,399
$716 ฿24.2K
161.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,581 JEP 1,181
$491 ฿16.6K
222.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,115 JEP 2,327
$1,927 ฿65.0K
61.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,550 JEP 1,905
$1,431 ฿48.3K
78.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$11.7K JEP 8,752
$4,175 ฿140.9K
180.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$10.5K JEP 7,827
$3,045 ฿102.7K
244.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Saint Helier
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,623 JEP 3,453
$502 ฿16.9K
820.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.08
5.57
-26.75%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Saint Helier: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Saint Helier
$1.6K
Phuket
$491 68.9% $1.1K
Eating Out
Saint Helier
$490
Phuket
$122 75.2% $368
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint Helier
$437
Phuket
$124 71.5% $313
Groceries & Markets
Saint Helier
$424
Phuket
$266 37.2% $158
Clothing & Footwear
Saint Helier
$227
Phuket
$122 46.2% $105
Sport & Entertainment
Saint Helier
$116
Phuket
$82 29.2% $34
Getting Around
Saint Helier
$101
Phuket
$71 29.9% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,873 in Saint Helier and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Helier pays about 9.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $122 in Saint Helier vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $424 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇯🇪 Saint Helier
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
23:10 11:10 PM
06:10 6:10 AM
7 h ahead of Saint Helier
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
32,522 Capital
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to JEP – Jersey Pound Converter

Jersey Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 JEP (1 JEP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 JEP (1 JEP = 1.2 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Saint Helier Phuket 10,100 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Saint Helier
  • Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Saint Helier vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Saint Helier?
Phuket is about 62% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Saint Helier or Phuket?
Average pay in Saint Helier is about 9.2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Saint Helier and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,873 in Saint Helier versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $2,272 in Saint Helier versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Saint Helier and in Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Saint Helier. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Saint Helier or in Phuket?
At $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,375 in Saint Helier, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Saint Helier. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Saint Helier or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Saint Helier, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Saint Helier or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Saint Helier and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Saint Helier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Saint Helier vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?